Article by Marius Mărgărit – Published on Tuesday, 07 April 2026, 13:06 / Updated on Tuesday, 07 April 2026 13:06
On March 26, right in the morning match Turkey – Romaniaformer international Marcel Răducanu (71 years old) was hospitalized in Dortmund, due to an infection on the sciatic nerve, caused by a bacterium. He has had problems with his back for a long time, where he had an operation in the past.
He did not see the match of the “tricolors” against the Turks (0-1) nor the one against Slovakia (0-2), because since then he has been in the hospital, where he also had a puncture and was permanently under treatment. But almost daily he asks “how is the situation with Mircea Lucescu?”.
And today, through GSP, he sent a message to the former selector, who is also in the hospital, at the University of Bucharest, but in a much worse condition, in a coma, after the heart attack he suffered before the game in Bratislava.
Marcel Răducanu, message for Mircea Lucescu from the hospital bed: “I think he liked me. I also care a lot about him”
Marcel Răducanu remembers that “we didn't know each other very well, because there was also the age difference. I think we played against each other twice, when he was at Dinamo and I had just arrived at Steaua, I was about 19 years old.
After that he went to Corvinul and since then we haven't seen each other for many years. I used to see “Prosecutor” Cornel Dinu, who also has health problems, more often, when we all met at Baia Centrală or at restaurants, Lido and Berlin, when we had a beer.
I met nea Mircea the last time in Cologne, in the VIP stand, when Romania played Belgium, at Euro 2024. She was happy when she saw me, she hugged me.
I think he liked me, even if we were just adversaries. And I care a lot about him, naturally. He told me then to take care of myself, that he knew I had undergone open heart and back surgery”.
“I pray and hope he gets through this ordeal”
Marcel Răducanu would soon be discharged. The doctors gave him a corset that he should wear for the next period, to stabilize his back.
From the hospital, the star sent a message to his former opponent, for whom he has a special admiration and respect: “I have been praying to the good God for several days, since I found out that he is in a coma, to give him days. That his life is in His hands.
And fight like he did all along! Give him strength and energy to overcome this ordeal. God help this great man, who has done so much for football!”.
